Role typologies for enterprising education: the professional artisan?

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how the context, approach and teaching techniques used for entrepreneurship education need to reflect the different roles that encompass enterprise. Design/methodology/approach The authors analyse and reflect upon what attributes, qualities, skills and knowledge are required for the different roles involved in entrepreneurship. Findings From the analysis the authors identify role typologies and argue that teaching entrepreneurship needs to produce a combination of the creative talents of the artist, the skills and ability of the artisan, yet include the applied knowledge of the technician with the know‐what of the professional. The authors then present some examples of pedagogies in entrepreneurship that might be used to develop the skills required for these roles. Practical implications The authors demonstrate why the teaching of entrepreneurship requires a combination of theory and practice. Originality/value The paper shows that a different approach to understanding entrepreneurial pedagogy may be useful for educators and students.